New Delhi: Investigators probing the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Pahalgam have uncovered a significant lead after tracing one of the mobile phones used by the attackers to a consignment imported into Pakistan and financed by a Karachi-based bank. The development forms part of the ongoing investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Jammu and Kashmir Police into the attack that claimed 26 lives.
According to the NIA chargesheet, two Xiaomi Redmi-series smartphones were recovered from three terrorists — Faisal Jatt alias Suleiman Shah, Habeeb Tahir alias Jibran, and Hamza Afghani — after they were killed during an encounter in the Mulnar Mahadev area of Dachigam Forest on July 28, 2025.
Investigators identified the devices as an orange Redmi 9T imported in 2021 and a black Redmi Note 12 imported in 2023. Information obtained from Xiaomi Global revealed that the Redmi 9T was part of a shipment imported by Tech Sirat Pvt Ltd, a Pakistan-based company headquartered in Karachi. The consignment was reportedly delivered in January 2021.
Investigation records indicate that Faysal Bank, a Karachi-based financial institution, financed the import through a letter of credit. While authorities have found no evidence linking the bank directly to the attack, they believe the phone may have been removed from the consignment before eventually reaching the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The second device, a Redmi Note 12 imported by Lahore-based Air Link Communications Ltd, also remained inactive for an extended period before the attack.
Although investigators could not recover communication records, forensic analysis uncovered photographs and maps related to Pahalgam, including images of Baisaran Meadows. One image showed a tent camp set up weeks before the attack, suggesting detailed reconnaissance and planning by the terrorists prior to carrying out the deadly assault.
